Dipping apparatus fos match making



April 10, 1934. L. HENNINGER 7 1,954,315

DIPPING APPARATUS FOR MATCH MAKING MACHINES Filed March so, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I fiaa'ezzibr. ludw/ Hem?) nycr April 10, 1934. IN E 1,954,315

DIPPING APPARATUS FOR MATCH MAKING MACHINES Filed Mafch so, 1931 s Sheets Sheet 2 He m1 mg c r April L. HENNINGER 1,954,315

DIPPING APPARATUS FOR MATCH MAKING MACHINES Filed March 30, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Lud wk Hennm er- Patented Apr. 10, 1934 UNITED STATES Lei-34,315

PATET cries DIPPING APPARATUS FOR MATCH MAKING MACHINES Ludwig Henninger, Durlaoh, Germany, assignor to Badisohe Maschinenfabrik & Eisengiesserei vormals G. Sebold und Sebold & Nell, Durlach, m Bade, Germany Application March 30, 1931, Serial No. 526,308 In Germany September 23, 1930 6 Claims. (01. 91-47) (a Various devices have heretofore been suggested to enable the splints of Wood to be dipped into the combustible composition for a sufficient length of time, that is to allow them to stay on the clipping table, and to pass them over the edges 9 of the dipping table. The apparatus in use heretofore has, however, not proved entirely satisfactory. It is more or less unreliable and does not afford complete protection against occasional serious breakdowns in the dipping process. Certain types of devices are provided with special feed pawls for separating the group of carrier bars, containing the wood splints to be clipped, from all the other carrier bars, traversing the machine at the normal rate of speed. In these devices, it is necessary to repeatedly and substantially accelerate the motion of said group of carrier bars, and afterwards to retard their motion. Such accelerations and retardations are very undesirable, particularly because of the need to provide complicated driving means for producing the changes of speed.

Other apparatus heretofore in use provided false carrier bars below which the edges of the dipping table were accommodated, so that the travel of the bars could remain uniform. The dipping table then travelled a certain distance along with the splints of wood and was then returned to its original position. The false bars are, however, very undesirable, for the reason that they are not utilized for the manufacture of the matches, and because special provisions are necessary at the charging station and at the ejecting station to prevent the false bars from being operated by the mechanisms at the two stations. The proposal to separate the carrier bars with the splints to be dipped from the remaining bars by means of wedges ascending with the dipping tables has not proved successful for practical reasons (binding of the bars and the like).

In match making machines in which the dipping table travels along with the splints for a certain distance, the carrier bars for the splints have also been separated from the remaining bars by a descending counterplate, but this also proved not entirely successful.

Vertically moving dipping tables have also been equipped with horns which lifted a carrier bar in front and at the back of the splints to be dipped in order to prevent the edges of the dipping table touching splints in these bars. After the clipping is finished the lifted bars are forced down again into the row of bars by means of springs. In this apparatus also damage to P the splints as well as breakdowns in thedipping operation are unavoidable unless comparatively broad sections of the splint carriers are kept free from splints.

The principal object of my invention is to eliminate the defects in existing machines and to provide dipping apparatus which will operate to efliciently dip the splints into the combustible compound.

In my improved apparatus the dipping table Y travels along with the splints of wood to be dipped. Although all the carrier bars thus travel at a continuous rate, sufiicient time is still available for the dipping operation. To the accomplishrnent of this end the guides in which the carrier bars travel forward are slidable for a cer-- tain distance along the pathin which the. dipping is carried out. The stationary guides are thus interrupted by movable guides which are independent of the stationary guides.

The movable guides are so connected with the drive which effects the travel of the dipping table that the table and the sliding guides travel at exactly the same speed. In order to provide adequate gaps between the respective rows of splints to prevent the edges of the dipping table coming in contact with the splints, the guide grooves in the movable guides are curved in such a manner that the individual splint carriers in advance and in the rear, respectively of those carrying the splints to be immersed assume an obliqueposition so that the respective gaps be tween those rows become wider at the bottom.

My invention also provides special means for supporting the bars intermediate their ends, the V said means being likewise coupled with the driving mechanism for effecting the travel of the dipping table. Since my improved apparatus does not cause a sudden change of speed in the direction of motion of the splint carriers and no sudden displacement at right angles to the direction of motion of the splint carriers or any other changes which interrupt the ordinary movement and all the movements take place in step with the usual advance of the splint carriers the dipping process with all the fully occupied splint carriers is absolutely dependable and no breakdowns occur.

In match making machines in which the carrier plates for the splints of wood are connected by hinged links in the manner of a chain, the guide rails upon which the carrier plates travel have heretofore been provided with two shallow triangular notches by which the chain was twice bent, in order to provide a downwardly widening gap between the match splints for the passage of the edges of the receptacle for the combustible composition. Two oppositely inclined carrier plates to be dipped. simultaneously then stood above the composition receptacle. For the dipping process they had to be straightened out, however, so that for each dipping process a triple change of length of the chain became necessary. This is very unfavorable on account of the feed motion of the carrier plates, and calls for considerable intervals between the feed steps which naturally retard the charging and ejection of the splints into and from the machine. A uniform motion of the carrier plates or bars is entirely impossible in the earlier constructions of machines.

In my improved machine all splint carriers which carry the splints of wood to be clipped are located horizontally above the clipping table and maintain this position throughout the dipping period. The uniform travel of the splint carriers is not interfered with in any way.

An embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompaying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a cross-section,

Fig. 2 is a plan,

Fig. 2a is a substantially transverse sectional view of the guide rails and the carriers taken on lines 2a2a of Figure 2.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through my improved apparatus or machine.

Figs. 4 to 6 are elevational views partly in section of the construction and relation of parts at and adjacent the dipping station.

The splint carriers which may be flat rods or bars a are provided with the splints of wood at the charging station at the left and enter the stationary guides 1, travel across the clipping station, and continue their travel in the stationary guides m on the right hand side. The means for effecting the travel of the splint carriers or and those for carrying out the vertical motion of the dipping table I) may be of any suitable construction, and are for this reason not shown in the drawings in detail.

The dipping table I) is reciprocated in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2 at right angles to the direction of travel of the splint carriers. When the dipping is to be effected, the dipping table b is raised until the splints come in contact with the surface of the dipping plate. Shortly before this contact is made, the dipping table I) is moved towards the right together with the vertical guides d, 6 between which it is raised and lowered, by means of the connecting rod g, and at the same speed as the splint carriers a. The guides d, e are capable of sliding along the horizontal shafts or rods f.

The plan, Fig. 2 of the drawings, shows only one side of the machine. At the opposite side there are likewise provided the guides d, e, the rod 1 and the connecting rod g. The two guides d are rigidly joined together by a transverse rod h and the two guides e by a transverse rod Between the stationary guides l and m for the splint carriers there are provided guide members Ic, which are not connected with the guides l and m and which are adapted to be displaced horizontally. The grooves 2 of the guide members is containing the splint carriers a join accurately the grooves 1 and 3 of the stationary guides Z and m respectively. The guide members k rest upon extensions n and 0 on the machine standards and are adapted to slide along these extensions. They are each provided with a horizontal slot through which passes a bolt p as guid ing and holding means.

The movable guide members embrace at k the rods i and are thus coupled with the guides d, e, in the horizontal motion of which they participate. During the dipping process the clipping table I) and the movable guide members is thus travel forward towards the right together with the splint carrier a at the same speed. As shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the ends of the guide members k and the ends of the stationary guides Z and m facing them are suitably offset or stepped so that the several guide members overlap at their adjacent ends and the horizontal movement of the members It is rendered possible without the splint carriers a, losing their support.

As shown in Fig. l the splint carriers are lowered in groups within the range of the dipping table b, although it is unnecessary that the splint carriers should approach the dipping table, inasmuch as this table is raised.

Lowering of the splint carriers occurs when the ends thereof ride down the cam surface 2', 2" (Figs. 4 and 5) and raising of the carriers takes place when the ends thereof ride up on these cam surfaces. By this lowering of the splint carrier group a splint carrier in advance and in the rear, respectively of the splints to be dipped is brought into an oblique position whereby the gap between the adjacent rows of splints into which the edges of the dipping table must enter is considerably enlarged at the bottom. In this way the edges of the table are able to freely enter and leave the gap between rows of splints without coming in contact with any of them. It is, however, not intended to claim this shape of the guides by itself, but only in combination with the horizontally slidable guide members.

Within the range of the movable guide members k the splint carriers a are according to my invention also supported intermediate their ends, substantially at the middle, by means of a rail q supported by two transverse rods r and s. The rail q is stationary because the transverse rods 1" and s are mounted in the framework of the match making machine. Above the rail q there is, however, provided a guide member t which is secured to the transverse rods h and 2' at t and thus takes part in their movements, that is the horizontal movement of the clipping table.

The dipping table b is moved vertically up and down to dip the splints. movement is produced by the two carriers 0 (see Figures 1 and 3). The carriers 0 are secured to the upper ends of vertically guided rods. The rods and the upper guide arrangement are illus trated in Figures 1 and 3. The up-and-down movement of the rods and the carriers 0 is effected from the lower part of the machine by suitable means not shown in the drawings.

My improved match dipping device operates as follows:

The up-and-down The carriers a supporting the splints are moved by means (not shown) at constant speed, through the guides 1', 70, m, the grooves of which are engaged by the ends of the carriers a. Figure 3 shows an engagement of a carrier a with the guide groove at the point where the rod 7c shows in cross section.

An essential feature of the invention is the constantly uniform advance movement of the carriers (1 along their entire path, including the dipping place and so far as I am aware I am the first to provide a match making machine in which the dipping devices satisfactorily effect such uniform advance movement.

In Figure 1 of the drawings, the splints of five carriers a are shown as being dipped. As soon as the dipping is entirely completed the clipping table b returns to its initial lower position. Lowering of the table is effected by lowering the supports 0 by means of cams and levers (not illustrated). The dipping table I) is lowered until it is supported from the rollers 14 and 1), which then move it out of the machine to permit an operator to scrape olf the used dipping solution and to spread a new solution upon the dipping plate.

While the clipping table 27 is outside the ma-- chine proper, five new carriers a are brought into the range of the dipping station so that now they occupy the position of the five carriers previously dipped. Thereafter, the table I; is moved into the machine in the direction of the arrow in Figure 2, so that it takes a position below the carriers (1. which are ready for operation. The supports 0 are then in their lowest position and do not touch the dipping table I).

When the table 2; arrives at its position below the carriers or and the splints to be dipped, the supports 0 rise and lift the table b from the rollers u, 11, moving it upwardly until the lower ends of the splints supported by the carriers a touch the surface of the table I). As soon as the table surface is touched-see position in Figure 1-the lateral, horizontal movement of the dipping table commences. It takes place at the same speed at which the carriers a are moved. The table I) is disposed between the two guides d and e which are supported by the bars 1 along which they may glide. The guides d and e are connected with the pieces k of the movable rod guides k by means of the bars i and it. Therefore, the guides k and the table b always have uniform movement.

The horizontal lateral movement is produced by the pull-rod g driven in a suitable manner by means not shown in the drawings. The hori zontal lateral movement is from left to right. The rollers 11, and v as well as the supports 0 do not take part in this horizontal movement. While the horizontal movement of the table 19 is taking place, the supports 0 maintain their uppermost position. The table slides on the supports 0; for this reason they are not symmetrically shaped, i. e. they are longer at the right of the vertical supporting rods than they are at the left.

When the horizontal lateral movement of the table b from left to right is completed, return movement thereof commences immediately. The rod g pushes the table b baclr in horizontal direction (from right to left) after the supports c and the table b have been lowered so far that the newly dipped splints cannot touch. the table edges. The horizontal and vertical return movement of the table are so correlated that the table I? is again supported from the rollers u, v at the proper moment. These rollers a, 2) then move the table outside the machine for conditioning.

Fig. 2 illustrates the machine in the position in which the dipping table I) has just been lifted so that the lower ends of the splints of say five.

carrier rods (see also Fig. l), touch the dipping table. At this moment, the movable rails 10 mm. 2) move into the extreme left-hand position,

'Whereas on the left-hand side the ends Z, k of the stationary and movable rails completely cover one another, the corresponding right-hand ends m, k are at the greatest possible distance from one another.

The rods 9 will now draw the movable guides k and the dipping table I) to the right at the same speed at which the carrier rods a are moved. As a result of this the left-hand ends Z, k of the guides l, is, will separate from each other in a horizontal direction and at the same time the rail ends m, will be gradually pushed one on top of the other until they practically overlap. When the dipping table 29 is again moved back in a left-hand direction and sinks-again on the rollers u, 1), then the movable rails is will also again he moved in a leIt-nano. direction mto a position illustrated in Fig. 2. The horizontal return movement is also effected through the agency of the rod g.

As will be seen from Fig. 2, the stationary guides Z and m are so shaped that there are tongues l, m on the inside or front side. These tongues consist each of two rods, one of which is above and the other below the carriers a. These tongues are formed of one piece with the corresponding guides l and m and support the carriers a also when the latter are not at this time supported by the movable guide is. This is best illustrated in Fig. 2a.

At the left hand side of Fig. 2, where the ends is, Z overlap, the carriers 0: are guided by these two ends. At the right-hand side of Fig. 2 the carriers which have been numbered 1 and 2 are guided and supported by the rail k The carrier 3 is guided by k and also by m, and the carriers numbered 4, 5 and 6 are supported and guided only by the stationary guides m, m.

As shown in Fig. 2, the horizontal lift of the movable rail is is approximately equal to the width of two carriers a. At the right-hand side of Fig. 2, the carrier numbered 4 is entirely free within the area of the horizontal gap between is and m, and the carriers numbered 3 and 5 are approximately half free, or what amounts to the same thing, the carrier 4 will be supported by the tongues m and only half of the carriers 3 and 5.

In accordance with Fig. l, in every instance five carriers will be clipped. Of course, any other suitable grouping may be chosen. When these five carriers, together with the table b and the rails is are moved to the right a distance equal to the width of only two carriers, then the horizontal displacement of the table 22 and the rails 7c terminates. Since five carriers can be moved over the table 12, i. e.. into the dipping position, it is necessary to advance the splints which have just been dipped an additional distance corresponding to the width of three carriers.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated herein, during the clipping the splints cover only two-fifths of the path which they must cover to permit the advancing of five additional carriers into the dipping position. As a result of this three-fifths of the path may be used to move the dipping table again to the left, to lower it, to move it on the rollers, to change the batch, to start up the table again and to lift it again. All movements are timed with the travel of the carriers (1 so that all the splints be dipped.

It will be understood that various structural modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention or the ambit of my appended claims.

I claim as my invention:-

1. Dipping apparatus for match making machines, comprising a longitudinally movable dipping table, splint carriers for conveying splints to said table, spaced stationary guides for the splint carriers, and splint-carrier guide members movable longitudinally with the dipping table in the space between the stationary guides.

2. Dipping apparatus for match making machines, comprising a longitudinally movable dipping table, splint carriers for conveying splints to said table, spaced stationary guides for the splint carriers, splint-carrier guide members movable longitudinally with the dipping table in the space between the stationary guides, and means for connecting the guide members with the dipping table whereby said dipping table and guide members move at the same speed.

3. Dipping apparatus for match making machines, comprising a longitudinally movable dipping table, splint carriers for conveying splints to said table, spaced stationary guides for the splint carriers, the opposed ends of said guides being offset, and splint-carrier guide members movable longitudinally with the dipping table in the space between said ends of the stationary guides, the opposite ends of the guide members being offset and adapted to overlap the offset ends of the said stationary guides.

4. Dipping apparatus for match making machines, comprising a longitudinally movable dipping table, splint carriers for conveying splints to said table, spaced stationary guides for the splint carriers, splint-carrier guide members movable longitudinally with the dipping table in the space between the stationary guides, said guide members having guide grooves curved adjacent their opposite ends, and means for connecting the guide members with the dipping table whereby said dipping table and guide members move at the same speed.

5. Dipping apparatus for match making machines, comprising a longitudinally movable dipping table, splint carriers for conveying splints to said table, spaced stationary guides for the splint carriers, splint-carrier guide members movable longitudinally with the dipping table in the space between the stationary guide members, I

and means for supporting the splint carriers intermediate their ends while said splint carriers are within range of said table.

6. Dipping apparatus for match making machines, comprising a longitudinally movable dipping table, splint carriers for conveying splints to said table, spaced stationary guides for the splint carriers, splint-carrier guide members movable longitudinally with the dipping table in the space between the stationary guides, said guide members having guide grooves substantially rectilinear in part and curved adjacent each end of the rectilinear part, means for connecting the guide members with the clipping table Whereby said dipping table and guide members move at the same speed, stationary means for supporting the splint carriers intermediate their ends while said splint carriers are within range of said table, and an additional guide member for said splint carriers above said stationary supporting means and connected with said movable guide members to thereby participate in'the motion of said dipping table.

LUDWIG HENNINGER. 

